Reduced adhesion of PBMNCs to endothelium in methylprednisolone-treated MS patients: preliminary results

Abstract

Methylprednisolone (MP) is a synthetic steroid commonly used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapses. It has a wide spectrum of activities on immune cells: it might also act by preventing mononuclear cell/endothelium adhesion. We studied adhesion phenomena between cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and PBMNCs (CD45+, CD14+) from 6 MS patients treated in vivo with MP. We also studied fluctuations in CD11a and CD18 levels on lymphocytes and monocytes, as well as changes in serum sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 concentrations. After MP treatment, PBMNCs adhesion to endothelium decreased at 3 h, while it went back to baseline levels at 24 h. A tendency to increase in both CD11a and CD18 on the surface of lymphocytes was detected, while an increase in serum sVCAM-1 was seen at 3 h.